The Lightning Thief By: Rick Riordan

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• Title: The Lightning Thief  (Percy Jackson and the Olympians #1)
• Author: Rick Riordan
• Publisher: Disney Hyperion
• Publication Date:  March 1,2006 (2005) 
• Pages: 377
• Genre: Fantasy
• Recommended Age(s): 9+
• First Read: 2008
• Source: Purchase
• Rating: 5.0 / 5.0 stars

This is one of those books that I regretted not picking up earlier because it has become one of my favorite book series. 

Percy is not what you'd call a model kid. He has ADHD, so he's not what you'd call quiet, and  he's been kicked out of schools in New York faster than his mother can find new ones for him. And there's the fact that strange things seem to happen around Percy...

I fell in love with book. I had never before read about a main character who has had the spunk of Percy. Percy's witty and sarcastic first person point of view is what really sold me with this book because the guy is so freaking sassy. Even in the most dire moments, when he's about to be, oh I don't know, be eaten by a monster, he's still mouthing off and it's just amazing.

I think I liked this series so much because it incorporated Greek mythology in a way that I had never experienced before. I was that kid who loved-and I still do-all the Greek myths so I pretty much memorized them all. So you can just imagine how happy I was when I finally picked this up. Not only were the characters in the ancient stories given new life, but the main characters-who are just regular kids themselves (well other than being demi-gods obviously) were so relatable. I could see a bit of myself in each of them and I think that's what I good book should do to a reader.

Riordan concocted the perfect mix, not only in this book, but in the entire series as well: Greek mythology, sassiness, adventure, and characters who you can't help and fall in love with. I just can't see why anyone would not like this.

As for me? If I had an Olympian parent (though I do love both my parents, don't get me wrong!) I would choose to be daughter of Athena, goddess of wisdom!

Who will you be, hero?

Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows By: J.K. Rowling

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• Title: Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows (Harry Potter #7)
• Author: J.K. Rowling
• Publisher: Scholastic
• Publication Date: July 21, 2007
• Pages: 759
• Genre: Fanstasy
• Recommended Age(s): 9+
• First Read: 2007
• Source: Gift 
• Rating: 5.0 / 5.0 stars

Well guys, this is it. Seven books. Eight movies. And millions of fans all around the world. We grew up with Harry Potter. We'll never forget the magic that the series instilled within us. And there was no better way to go out than this book.

I cried. I laughed. But mostly I marveled at how this series became such a part of my life. And though I'm writing this review eight years after the release of the seventh and final book, the magic has has in no way left at all. 

Harry is finally of age. And he believes it his duty to destroy Voldemort once and for all. And though a majority of this book takes place away from the the halls of Hogwarts, there is no shortage of action at all. I really liked the development between the trio and the fact that they can survive the hardships they went through just reveals the lengths to which their friendship will go to. 

Were there deaths? Of course there were. It's war. And I cried-of course I did. But in the end, I felt like all the deaths contributed to the beauty of the overall story, even though I know I will never fully get over some of those who J.K. Rowling decided to kill off. 

What I marvel most about this series is its ability to bring in the past books and make connections with them that pertain with the present situation. It's foreshadowing to the max for sure.

I can't wait to read this book again and again because every time I open this book-or any book in the series really-I feel like I am going home.

Harry Potter and the Half Blood Prince by: J.K. Rowling

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• Title: Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince (Harry Potter #6)
• Author: J.K. Rowling 
• Publisher: Scholastic
• Publication Date:  September 16, 2006 (2005)
• Pages: 652
• Genre: Fanstasy
• Recommended Age(s): 9+
• First Read: 2006
• Source: Gift
• Rating: 5.0 / 5.0 stars

So many feelings. Everything is changing and I can't get over all of them. This book is the one that I have read the least out of all the others, but I like it just as much as all the others; I suppose that it just gets lost in the mix, like being a middle child I suppose.

I definitely enjoyed the backstories the most. I got to get inside Voldemort's head and finally find out his ultimate motives. Nothing blows my mind more than all the connections that Rowling oh so subtlety made throughout the series only to come rushing back at you like a giant wave of Ohhhhhhhh. That's why she did that. There is nothing better. I won't give anything away for all you haven't read the Harry Potter books because these subtleties are what make Harry Potter Harry Potter. 

Favorite scene? Weasley's Wizarding Wheezes. Enough said.

I just wish that Harry wasn't so dense in this book. I feel like he focuses on all the wrong things and does get *ahem* obsessed about a couple of things. He also does not put two and two together fast enough, but I guess that's why Hermione is the the brightest person in their year, and not Harry.

There's no doubting it; Harry is on the edge of a great wizarding war and nothing is going to be the same ever again. But the fact remains that Harry and Hermione and Ron are just sixteen years old. They are a cesspool of raging hormones and I thought it was incredibly interesting to see all those hormones play out in a fantastical world, reminding all of us that though they have magic wands at their disposal, they are not that different from us muggles. They fight, love, and care with as much intensity as anyone I've ever seen or read about.

There's just something addicting about this series and The Half -Blood Prince does not disappoint.

Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix By: J.K. Rowling

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• Title: Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix (Harry Potter #5)
• Author: J.K. Rowling
• Publisher: Scholastic
• Publication Date: August 10, 2004 (2003)
• Pages: 870
• Genre: Fantasy
• Recommended Age(s): 9+
• First Read: 2006
• Source: Gift 
• Rating: 5.0 / 5.0 stars

**Contains Spoilers!!!**

This being the longest book of the series, I expected it to pack a punch. And it sure lived up to my expectations! I loved this book because it kept me turning the pages-and there are 870 of them-until the very end. There are even more new insights into the wizarding world and a bunch more character development so that I feel like I know Harry's entire soul or something like that.

I loved how long this book was. I really did, because there was so much plot development that went on and it never once felt slow to me. Two words though. Teenage angst. Harry's temper seems to always be just bubbling beneath the surface in this book and sometimes I actually laughed when he started screaming at people because he did it to the point of ridiculousness. But I suppose little Harry is growing up and needs to balance out all his hormones and all that fun stuff. It also probably doesn't help that Voldemort is barraging him with these dreams. But what can you do?

My favorite part of this book was the twins. Seriously. They are wittiest characters I have ever met and my favorite scenes are where they just completely go wild in Hogwarts with all their Weasely's Wizarding Wheezes merchandise. I love it. One of my favorite quotes in the book goes:

"Give [Umbridge] hell from us, Peeves. And Peeves, whom Harry had never seen take an order from a student before, swept his belled hat from his head and sprang to a salute as Fred and George wheeled about to tumultuous applause from the students below and sped out of the open front doors into the glorious sunset."

That has to be the classiest exit out of school I have ever seen.

One of my other favorite parts of the book was the description of the wizard hospital, St. Mungo's. It was so cool to see how Rowling created a place that was both familiar and unfamiliar to the reader at the same time when she wrote the scenes about that place. I quite enjoyed seeing a particular professor again, though I did feel a bit sorry for him.

The most fascinating aspect of this book was when Harry delved into Snape's memory and saw that his dad was not the perfect person that Harry thought he was. That he and Snape had something in common. That people could change. I remember feeling very sorry for Snape indeed when I first read this book all those years ago and thought to myself just how weird that feeling was. Snape was supposed to be the bad guy. It's this memory that makes me realize once again just how complex of a character Snape is and the fact that he was in many ways, not that different from Harry.

And speaking of bad guys, I don't think that I've ever met anyone who I've hated more than Dolores Jane Umbridge. She is not a death eater, but an authority figure, yet I dislike her more than Voldemort (who is supposed to be the capital letter Bad Guy in this entire series) or any of his supporters. I think everyone hates Umbridge more than the dark wizard responsible for so many deaths because everyone knows someone like her. Rowling herself modeled Umbridge on a teacher that she once had, so there is a very real reality that we will all have an Umbridge in our lifetime. An authority figure who abuses their power and is inherently prejudiced against people or beings who are unlike her can be more evil than any death eater. After  all, as Sirius has wisely said,

"The world is not split up into good people and death eaters."

There is no one, I repeat no one, who can make the color pink and cute little kittens seem malevolent and foreboding. But that woman is in a league of her own. She makes the Plastics look tame.

A word about the movie. It was by far my least favorite of all eight movies. It simply did not do book justice. I wish David Yates had incorporated more of the book and did not change so much of the way events took place. I mean, the events he changed weren't even applicable in the long run so why change them?

But overall, it's completely worth it to read all 870 pages of this book! There is nothing better than coming back home to all your wonderful friends and this was what I felt as I read this book.

Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire By: J.K. Rowling

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• Title: Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire (Harry Potter #4)
• Author: J.K. Rowling
• Publisher: Scholastic
• Publication Date:  September 28, 2002 (2000)
• Pages: 734
• Genre: Fantasy
• Recommended Age(s): 9+
• First Read: 2006
• Source: Gift
• Rating: 5.0 / 5.0 stars

**Contains Spoilers!!!**

There's no other way to say this, but this book was a monster to read. And when I read it for the first time when I was eight years old, it took me a full nine days (which was a long time for little ol' me) to finish. But it was well worth it because this book was so action packed and full of excitement that every time I read it, I still can't believe the magical world that J.K. has provided for everyone. 

And I know I say this for every single one of the HP books, but this one is actually my favorite of all of them. It was this book that started my HP obsession after I got it for Christmas and it got to the point that I had to buy another copy of the paperback version because my very first version became so torn up. But torn up because of  all of my re-readings, so you could say I did it out of love. 

What's to love about this book above all the others? The question is, what's not to love about this book? There's quidditch-The Quidditch World Cup in fact-a whole new set of characters, an amazingly dangerous tournament, a beautiful ball, Hogwarts Castle, and of course Harry, Ron, and Hermoine. I loved this book because it was more mature than the previous three books, reflecting the fact that Harry and his friends are growing up. There are very real emotions-i.e. Ron's jealousy and Harry's crush on Cho Chang- that are handled in such a way that they enhance the plot rather than detract from it. 

I also think that this book had one of the biggest plot twists in the entire series. I mean who in the world could have guessed (because I surely didn't the first time I read it!) that Alastor Moody was not really, well, Alastor Moody? That was masterful that was, and some of the greatest magic J.K. Rowling did-concealing that so well!

My favorite scenes in the book had to be the Quidditch World Cup. One of my favorite characters will forever be Old Archie wearing a woman's night gown because that's what he thought all muggles wore. Oh, classic. I also got to see Wood again, if only for a short while, so that was fun. It was just the entire atmosphere of the World Cup that entranced me. Just like Harry, I had never given a thought to wizards from other countries before. It was fascinating. 

And let's be honest, one of the most memorable parts of this book was also the fact that for a very short time, Malfoy was a ferret. A pure white ferret.

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Least favorite parts? What? I have nothing. 

Am I ever going to stop loving this book?

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And man, the ending. Wow. Just wow. It was even more explosive than the ending of The Prisoner of Azkaban and someone practically changed their molecular composition to turn into something else into that book. After this book, nothing will ever be the same again.

Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban By: J.K. Rowling

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• Title: Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban (Harry Potter #3)
• Author: J.K. Rowling
• Publisher: Scholastic
• Publication Date:  May 1, 2004 (1999) 
• Pages: 435
• Genre: Fantasy
• Recommended Age(s): 9+
• First Read: 2006
• Source: Gift
• Rating: 5.0 / 5.0 stars

**Contains Spoilers!!!**

Without a doubt, The Prisoner of Azkaban is a pivotal book in the series, with the introduction of several characters integral to the overall plot. It is also the one that starts off with quite a bang, especially because Harry finally ends up snapping and blowing up his aunt up like a balloon. Not to mention the fact that Sirius Black has escaped from Azkaban to *supposedly* hunt down and kill Harry. 

I liked this book because it was able to keep the magic of the magical world going in a way that left you wanting to read the next book as soon as possible because it leaves off at a time where everything is changing. It also introduced me to even more of my favorite characters in the series: Lupin and Sirius, whose roles are indispensable as father figures to Harry. 

I also quite enjoyed the atmosphere surrounding the Quidditch Cup, especially Oliver Wood's manic, obsessive behavior in his quest to win the Cup in his last year of Hogwarts. Lee Jordan is also always highly entertaining and I'm going to miss him when he's gone. This sub plot gave a lighter air to the overall even darker plot. I mean for most of the book Harry believes that Sirius is trying to murder him so I welcomed the laughter and the sass. 

My favorite part was definitely when the confrontation between Harry, Lupin, and Sirius happened in the Shrieking Shack. Of course they did not meet under optimal circumstances, but the fact remains that Harry got to learn a little more about his family, especially his family. Rowling also introduced even more to the on-going theme of loyalty when Sirius said to Wormtail:

"You should have died! Died rather than betray your friends!" 

It just hits so deep, the brevity Lupin, Sirius, and James' friendship. And Harry, Hermoine, and Ron reflect that in their friendship too, exemplified when Ron, whose leg was broken, said,

"If you want to kill Harry, you'll have to kill us too!" 

Which is cliched, I know, but just hits me right in the heart, and reminds me why I love the series so much.

And shout out to Hermione to slapping Malfoy across the face because to quote the movie version, he was a "foul, loathsome, evil little cockroach." I totally understand where Hermoine came from in this book, snapping after all the pressure of her combined classes. I'm in the International Baccalaureate Programme and I sure wish I could have a time turner to help me out with all of my studies!

And speaking of time turners, I loved the idea, but having time turners available opens up so many plot holes in the story. But thank goodness, that issue is resolved in later books. The Marauder's Map, while one of my favorite magic items, also introduces plot holes. I've always wondered why Snape did not see two Harrys and two Hermiones on the Marauder's  Map when he checked it in Lupin's office because Harry and Hermione had gone back in time. So he should have seen a pair of them in the forest, hiding, and the other pair going into the tunnel. Any answers, J.K.? As for the plot hole where Fred and George never noticed Peter Pettigrew sleeping with Ron in the form of Scabbers, Rowling has said that Fred and George never would have looked to see where Ron was and would not have cared, instead looking at "the path their mischief took them that day." But other than my over analyzing, I loved the book, there's no question about that!

As for the movie version: some people say it was their favorite, some say it was the worst one out of the eight films. I quite liked the movie, to be honest, even though it deviated from the original plot just a little bit. I thought that the creative license Alfonso Cuarón put into the plot fit the movie perfectly, although it was a little disconcerting that Hagrid's hut and the Whomping Willow were transplanted to completely different locations. But the movie, like the book, was pivotal because it was significantly darker than the previous two movies. And from this movie on, there is sure a lot more gray and black to reflect the darkening times.

Overall, one of my favorites, but of course I say that to all of them!

Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets By: J.K. Rowling

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• Title: Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets (Harry Potter #2)
• Author: J.K. Rowling
• Publisher: Arthur A. Levine Books
• Publication Date:  June 2, 1999 (1998) 
• Pages: 341
• Genre: Fantasy
• Recommended Age: 9+
• First Read: 2006
• Source: Gift
• Rating: 5.0 / 5.0 stars

The magic of Harry's world continues as we are more familiar with his world than in the first book. Of course, there are still more secrets to be revealed, including seeing where the Weasleys live for the first time. I quite enjoyed this book (as I did for the entire series of course!) because just when you think there are no more surprises-bam-you get hit with one harder than Harry and Ron get hit by that Whomping Willow.

I seriously love this book because this is where I got to meet Dobby for the first time and where we learn so much more about all the characters. I admit that I did like this better than the Philosopher's Stone simply because I was more entrenched in Harry's world. This book had a darker tone to it than  its predecessor and contained a mystery that I was trying to solve as well when I first read it. And now since I have read it so many times, I am able to pick up on clues that J.K. had left earlier in the book. Every single time I read this book I pick up another subtle hint that relates not only to the ending of this book, but connects to all the other books as well, and it just blows my mind, every single time. 

My favorite part, weirdly, was Ron's backstory on why he hated spiders so much. There is something in Ron's childhood fear that speaks to everyone. And though Rowling portrays it as a funny anecdote, (the story goes that Fred and George turned Ron's teddy bear into a giant spider) she instills in us something much deeper, and it is this recurring motif of fear and the ability to overcome it that appears in every single one of the books that I love so much. She teaches us to be unafraid without preaching, and she does it so subtly that it's as if we came up with it on our own. And we did. She simply planted the seed of it in our mind.

This book also contains one of my (many) favorite quotes that Dumbledore tells Harry after Harry finds out that he and Voldemort have a lot of things in common:

"It is our choices, Harry, who make us what we truly are, far more than our abilities"

Isn't it magical what a an orphaned boy with an owl and a broomstick and two amazing best friends can teach us about life?

And just for the record, this was my favorite movie of the entire series; I love the part where Mrs. Weasley yells at her sons for sneaking off and bringing Harry back with them. It's the one part that I liked better in the movie than in the book. It's a classic.

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Where have you been? Beds empty! No note! Car gone! You could have died! You could have been seen! 

I just love everything about this book. So shoo and go read it (or better yet, re-read it) until you can quote both the movie and book versions word per word!

Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone By: J.K. Rowling

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• Title: Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone  (Harry Potter #1)
• Author: J.K. Rowling
• Publisher: Bloomsbury Publishing
• Publication Date:  June 30, 1997 
• Pages: 223
• Genre: Fantasy
• Recommended Age: 9+
• First Read: 2006
• Source: Gift 
• Rating: 5.0 / 5.0 stars

I've read this book and this series more times than I can count, to the point that I can quote (pretty accurately) the entire first chapter of each book because Harry Potter is an institution unto itself. 

This entire series has grown up with me, ever since I first read them when I was eight years old and it feels only right that I write a review on perhaps the greatest book series that mankind has ever come out with. Because Harry Potter and his friends, and even his enemies, not only taught me about the magic of love, loyalty, friendship, but they further fostered my love for reading. So indirectly, this blog is here today because of of the line,

"Mr. and Mrs. Dursley of number four, Privet Drive, were proud to say that they were perfectly normal, thank you very much."

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No Dursleys, thank you for giving Harry a childhood fraught with challenges that taught him to overcome the hardships he faces later in life. Because of the Dursleys, I learned an infinite amount of lessons: that normal wasn't always better, that not all people are beyond hope, and most importantly that mail does not arrive every day.

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Everything about this book was well, magical because who can't love invisible cloaks, chocolate frogs, magic wands, and a sport with flying broomsticks? The language is simple yet conveys so much and that's what makes this series so amazingly successful; children are able to learn from Harry's world without realizing it at first, yet they take away with them lessons that will last them a lifetime.

"Words, in my not so humble opinion, are our most inexhaustible source of magic"

I can't help but smile as I write this because it feels as if I am opening up Harry's world for the first time, meeting Ron, Hermoine, Fred, George, Neville, and Malfoy for the first time. And for those who say, that these are children's books, then they are right, but for those who say that only children can enjoy them, then I must say that they are sorely mistaken. Do not feel as if you are "too old" for Harry and his friends because all great stories do not have an age limit. When I started the series, the trio looked like this:

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And I have grown up with them, so it is as if the stories are growing with me, changing to fit the context of my life, as these stories will do to all who delve into them.

In this first book of course, we are introduced to the magic, where we first come upon King's Cross, Diagon Alley, and the famous Hogwarts Castle, which are all described in such rich detail that I feel like I have been along for the ride the entire time, which, in a way, I have. I especially love the moment where Harry's wand first chooses him. I think it perfectly sums up the entire series because it captures all the feelings everyone feels throughout the entirety of the series.

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Here I am, talking about the entire series when it's only the first book! But this book is my second favorite in the series, second only to The Goblet of Fire, if that says anything. I love this book so much because it is the gateway to a world I have never fully left and was the one that introduced me to a brand of magic that  I am able to access, all by just turning a few pages.

As for my Hogwarts letter? Well, I'm still waiting for it, though it's been years since my 11th birthday. I'm convinced it was lost in the mail somewhere and it will eventually find its way to me, because "things we lose always have a way of coming back to us," to quote the admirable Luna Lovegood.

Discussion: Books vs. Movie Adaptations

Some of you may have noticed that I sometimes include a quick commentary about the movie adaptation of a particular book and whether or not they are worth watching and how they differ from and/or are the same as the movie. I include these because I think that it's important to acknowledge that there are movie adaptations out there and some might be great, even greater than the original book, while some books might have not been transferred to the silver screen quite as successfully (ahem Percy Jackson).

I want to be able to provide a platform where everyone can find out about upcoming book to movie adaptations and in turn discuss these adaptations.

So what are your favorite book to movie adaptations? Or do you have any? Which ones did you like the least? Which ones do you want to happen?

Memoirs of a Geisha By: Arthur Golden

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• Title: Memoirs of a Geisha
• Author: Arthur Golden
• Publisher: Vintage Contemporaries
• Publication Date: December 1, 2005 (1997)
• Pages: 497
• Genre: Historical Fiction
• Recommended Age: 13+
• First Read: 2012
• Source: Purchase
• Rating: 4.5 / 5.0 stars

Well, I have to confess that I haven't read this book in a while, but after re-reading it a second time, I realized just what made me love this book in the first place. It a sensual, eye-opening, and a pretty dang great piece of literature.

The first thing that I want to clear up a about this book is that it is fictional, and though it does say that it is a novel on the cover (or at least it does on my edition) some people still get confused about that because the novel does function as a frame story in the aspect that it opens with a fictional "author's note." The actual author does such a great job of introducing us to Chiyo's world that it seems (or at least it did to me) that I couldn't tell the difference between the book and reality. I will also refer to her as Chiyo for the entirety of this review, even though she goes through multiple name changes.

My favorite aspect of this novel was the use of first person as Chiyo's relayed her story to us so that we went along on the journey at the same pace as she did, but also got to have an insight to the enigmatic world that the geishas inhabited. I'm a sucker for a well written historical novel (who isn't?) so I enjoyed all the facts that went into this work, especially considering the fact that the author did extensive research on the world of the geisha. 

Did I like Chiyo? Well yes, and not really. I admired her spirit and her will to survive even in the most dire of circumstances and make the most of the life that she had given. I was annoyed, however, at Chiyo for giving so much of her time and effort into torturing herself, pining for a man that was her forbidden fruit. I know that being with the Chairman is what kept her going, and that it was not unusual at the time for something like this to happen, but I just wish she had other motivation, other than a guy (who was at least thirty years older!) than her to strive for. But what can I really do? The world of the geisha relied on intrigue, even in the most intimate levels of their lives, and love, or rather the lack thereof, was the number one motivation for all of this.

And yes, there is a movie that was released in the early 2000s about this novel. Was the movie accurate to the book? Well, no movie truly is, and of course read the novel first of course, but I can definitely recommend the movie as well because it brings all these wonderful characters to life. Interestingly, my favorite character in the movie version is Hatsumomo because the actress portrays her so well-just like how I imagined her.

You know a novel is truly special when you can't wait to re-read it again, and that's exactly how I feel about Memoirs of a Geisha. 

Never Let Me Go By: Kazuo Ishiguro

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• Title: Never Let Me Go
• Author: Kazuo Ishiguro
• Publisher: Vintage Books
• Publication Date: August 31, 2010
• Pages: 288
• Genre: Fiction
• Recommended Age: 16+
• First Read: 2015
• Source: Purchase
• Rating: 3.5 / 5.0

I have started this review over and over again because I just couldn't find the right words to describe this ethereal, dreamy mess that I love and hate at the same time.

I know that a lot of people start this book not knowing what to think because the blurb completely misleads the reader into thinking there is nothing but normalcy in this novel. But if the plot was "normal" then why would Ishiguro have written about it then?

The truth is, this novel is more about the author's exploration of morality in the human race than anything else because he gives these three characters-Kathy, Ruth, and Tommy- an inescapable fate. I do not want to give too much away in terms of the plot because I think that it is important that people do not know the true intentions of the novel because it adds to the experience when the reader discovers what it is all about.

All I have to say is that I experienced a roller coaster of emotions with this book because I did not know exactly how to feel at any given time, despair being the overarching theme in this novel. And though it was horribly depressing at times, the book was masterfully written and Ishiguro never had to over describe everything to get his point cross.

I did not give this book a five star rating or even the four star rating because I felt like it left too many unanswered questions that could have cleared the plot up a little bit. Although I suppose it was the author's intention to leave to those details ambiguous to explore the human psyche, it still would have been nice. But it was beautifully written, albeit a bit slow at times, and I do recommend reading this book to have a unique experience.

Note about the movie: It features Andrew Garfield and Kiera Knightly and completely diverges from the original plot, but it was, like this book itself, quite an experience unto itself.

The Scorch Trials By: James Dashner

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• Title: The Scorch Trials (The Maze Runner #2)
• Author: James Dashner
• Publisher: Delacorte Press
• Publication Date: October 12, 2010
• Pages: 360
• Genre: Young Adult, Dystopian
• Recommended Age: 13+
• First Read: 2013
• Source: Library
• Rating: 4.5 / 5.0 stars

After ending in such a cliff hanger, The Scorch Trials picks up right where the The Maze Runner left off with the Gladers thinking they have escaped from WICKED. But things are not always as they seem, and the real trouble is only beginning.

Did I enjoy this novel as much as the the first book? Well, no, but it was still action packed and filled with revelations about WICKED, the Flare, and Thomas' role in the Trials. I think the reason why I did not enjoy this novel as much was because I was so entranced with the world of the maze and the glade that in a way, I couldn't quite get as much into the Scorch. But I did enjoy the book immensely in its own way because it provided a vastly different environment for the Gladers to explore in and to survive in.

This is what I pictured the scorch to be:

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I think my favorite part was when Thomas and Brenda were running through the city, just trying to survive and get to the safe haven they was promised to. I also liked that new characters were introduced and that they added a new complexity to the themes already there (as if things couldn't get complicated enough). I loved the original characters, Newt and Minho being my favorites, but I liked to see how the group dynamic would work outside the maze, and I wasn't disappointed. Minho was even sassier, if possible, and Newt was just so adorable that I could barely stand it.

Thomas though, was getting more annoying because he just couldn't stop asking questions (again) and just kept rambling and rambling and rambling blah blah blah about Teresa, about his feelings...I could have done a lot without that and instead focused on the action happening around them and the fact that people are trying to kill them!

The book, of course, ends in another cliffhanger (shocker) much like the first book did, not really providing any answers as much as more questions and even more WICKED.

Well, at least there's a third book, which I will gladly re-read again, but I won't like page 250 at all. And to quote Forrest Gump: Well that's all I have to say about that.

The Maze Runner By: James Dashner

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• Title: The Maze Runner (The Maze Runner #1)
• Author: James Dashner
• Publisher: Delacorte Press
• Publication Date: October 6, 2009
• Pages: 374
• Genre: Dystopian, Young Adult
• Recommended Age: 13+
• First Read: 2013
• Source: Library
• Rating: 5.0 / 5.0 stars

I've read this series a few times now, and I thought it was time to finally write a review about it. And it's about time I share the magic of the maze with everyone who hasn't read this series yet.

If you ain't scared, you ain't human.

The plot itself was fast paced, engaging and cringe-worthy in the right places, making it one of my favorite dystopia YA series. And I like this particularly because of the fact that it contained a plot that was not so heavily centered on a love triangle or a couple in love. Sure Tom and Theresa have their moments, but I feel like we get to know the other characters just as well and we are able to fall in love with each of the relationships between the characters.

Hands down my favorite character in this book, and consequently the entire series is Newt because there is a strength within him that does not exist within the other characters. Newt is everything in a hero, and though he is not the main character, I feel like he contributed just as much as Thomas did.

I also really liked Minho because he provided the sort of dry comic relief that I enjoyed, in addition to having the coolest job in the Glade. I love the relationship between the three boys, Minho, Newt, and Thomas because they shared a brotherhood that could only come from enduring an extraordinary experience together.

My favorite aspect of this book was the fact that we as readers found facts out at the same rate as the main character, Thomas did. I felt like I was part of the story because I felt disoriented along with Thomas when all of these new vocabulary words like "greenie" and "shank" were thrown at me. And I felt like I was becoming one of the Gladers when the new vocabulary words did not disconcert me anymore and just seemed natural. That was a great feeling.

I also loved the maze itself, with its enigmatic persona, it was a character unto itself. And if there is anything worse than being in a maze, it's being in a maze with monsters that want to kill you. And it is delightfully suspenseful to read those scenes because you never know what's around the next turn. I'm sure Dashner took some of his inspiration from the Labyrinth in the Greek myths, just as Riordan and Collins did for some of their series but I liked the way Dashner portrayed the maze as not something to get through, but something to escape because the Gladers are stuck in the middle of it and don't have to travel through it to get to another destination.

Genius. Stunning.

If I did have any complaints with this book, I would have to call out Thomas for asking so many questions that he just could have waited to ask!! And the fact that interrupts and doesn't keep silent when people are trying to explain things to him. Oh well. I'm nit-picking.

But seriously, go read this book before you watch the movie. Because although the movie is pretty great (though they took some creative license that I condone to an extent) with a stellar cast playing the Gladers, the book is where the magic starts.

Hamlet By: William Shakespeare

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• Title: Hamlet
• Author: William Shakespeare
• Publisher: Riverhead Books by Penguin Group
• Publication Date: April 15, 2003
• Pages: 352
• Genre: Fiction/Play
• Recommended Age: 13+
• First Read: 2015
• Source: Purchase 
• Rating: 3.5 / 5.0 stars

Hamlet, Abridged:

  

HAMLET: My daddy's dead. And I don't like my stepdad/ uncle.
  

DEAD KING HAMLET: Go kill your uncle.

HAMLET. Should I? I should. No, I shouldn't. I should. I shouldn't.

GERTRUDE: Love your new dad and get over your actual dad's death.

HAMLET: I hate all of you. And I think I'm going to go to crazy town.

POLONIUS: blah blah blah. *death*

OPHELIA: Hammmlleeettt. Love meee. Or I'll go crazy.

HAMLET: Too late. You're crazy, I'm crazy, everyone's crazy...and dead.

LAERTES: Imma challenge you to a duel because that's what we do here. And think of three ways to kill you.

CLAUDIUS: Let's put some poison in wine and forget to label it right.

HAMLET: Ahhhh let's all fight!

GERTRUDE: Oooh. I love poisoned wine. *death*

LAERTES: *killed with his own poisoned sword*

CLAUDIUS: Yum. Wine. Oops. *dead*.

HAMLET: Well, are you happy now Dad? *also dies*

HORATIO: Where'd everyone go?

[All Exuent]

This is my third Shakespeare play to read, courtesy of my school's required reading list.

I read the No Fear Version (as pictured) which shows the original play on the left side and a translated version on the right side that reflects today's language, which I recommend for people who may have a little trouble adjusting to Shakespearean language. I definitely benefited from this because I was able to clarify some bits that I did not completely understand. I also liked it because there were helpful tidbits that explained the history and context of some of the things said in the play that may not have translated to today's audiences.

As a whole, this was an interesting play to read, especially witnessing Hamlet's fall into insanity. I laughed at Hamlet's wit and sarcasm because there is just something so likable about a character that is able to play with words so easily. And though I found Hamlet's ability with words enjoyable, I did not particularly enjoy the way he treated Ophelia. Which is, I know, purposeful on Shakespeare's part, but can you really blame Ophelia for what she did? She was a pawn in a greater game (well, you can make the argument that they all were, which is true) and did little to deserve her fate.

Ophelia is one of my favorite characters, but my absolute favorite was actually the gravedigger, who is only in the play for one act. And the fact that he is such an insignificant character in the grand scheme of things makes me like him a lot more because Shakespeare makes a point in giving him some of the most profound lines in he play. By doing this, Shakespeare gets the point across that sometimes the most interesting thoughts come not from the rich, but from the common man.
The grave digger is the only one who is able to match wits with Hamlet and even outsmarts him in word play sometimes. I also liked this particular scene because it gets the point across that everyone is equal in death- that we all return to dust and it does not matter who we are in life if we all end up in the same place. Which is a little morbid, I know, but is also very thought provoking.

My least favorite part about this play was Hamlet's relationship with his mother because I think that he is waaayyy too interested in her marital affairs, if you know what I mean. It just was not right. There is a deeper significance to that and everything, but it was still disconcerting.

I also did not like Hamlet's indecisiveness, which the entire play is built on. Make up your mind Hamlet! It takes the death of four people before Hamlet actually makes up his mind to go kill his Uncle. Which, if Hamlet wanted to kill the guy in the first place, should not have taken that long to decide.

Hamlet my friend, you are a special guy.

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And if you guys are just too lazy to read all of Hamlet's sassyness, then just watch The Lion King. But read the play too, it's one heck of a ride!

The Kite Runner By: Khaled Hosseini

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• Title: The Kite Runner
• Author: Khaled Hosseini
• Publisher: Riverhead Books 
• Publication Date: March 5, 2013 (10th Anniversary Edition) 
• Pages: 400
• Genre: Fiction
• Recommended Ages: 13+
• First Read: 2013
• Source: Goodreads Giveaway
• Rating: 5.0 / 5.0 stars

The Kite Runner is a gut-wrenchingly amazing book that gave me a picture of Afghanistan that I did not know existed until reading this book. The plot was achingly spectacular and I became emotionally attached to each and every single character who graced the pages. This book is so much more than just a story about two boys growing up in Afghanistan, but a complex tale of friendship, love, loyalty, integrity, and family.

For you, a thousand times over. 

So haunting, so mesmerizing, so tragic.

Amir and Hassan grow up together in Afghanistan in the late sixties and mid seventies, when there was still a monarchy running the government. Amir is the son of a prominent man who is well known and respected throughout the community, and Amir is an affluent child. Hassan, though Amir never outright tells him, is undeniably his best and only friend, and also his servant. The two boys share a bond that starts in the womb and though they, as children are different social classes, they still become inseparable. The two boys' personalities are complex, with Amir being a bit of a coward, as he calls himself, while Hassan is infinitely braver (as Amir thinks) and a loyal friend to no end.

An incident that happens during the winter of 1975 during a kite festival changes Amir and Hassan's entire relationship. Amir is too cowardly to come to Hassan's aid, and as a result, Hassan is never the same again. The guilt that Amir carried was far to great for him to handle, and in desperation, rids himself of the cause of his grief by tearing apart his life.

Not long after that, Afghanistan itself starts getting into turmoil, and the country is never the same again. Amir grows up in America after fleeing his native Afghanistan and lives there for over two decades, suffering his own trials and tribulations while Hassan is almost always in the back of his mind.

Hassan is not introduced again until much later, when Amir gets summons to return to his roots by an old friend. What Amir learns about Hassan, himself, and his whole life changes everything. To make things right again, Amir agrees to look for Hassan's only child and bring him to Pakistan. This is not an easy task, and Sohrab is as much a tortured soul as his father and Amir.

The ending of this book is filled with tragedy as well as a bittersweet, hopeful moment that shows that there might be hope out there. For everyone.


Words cannot fully describe how haunting this book was; it just so beautifully crafted and powerful. Khaled Hosseini gives us all a window into the soul of Afghanistan and its resiliently complex people.